Oxygen mask



Jan. 13., 1959 I w. s. FINKEN 2,863,195

OXYGEN MASK Filed Aug. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. M175? 5. F/Mmv By %//M Arm/em Jan. 13,1959 w. s. FINKEN 2,868,195

OXYGEN MASK Filed Aug. 3, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY X/W/M United States Patent 2,868,195 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 QXYGEN MASK Walter SLFinlren, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Leonard P. Frietier, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application August 3, 1955, Serial No. 526,280

8 Claims. (Cl. 128-141) This invention relates to oxygen masks and particularly to oxygen masks for use by pilots and other occupants of aircraft.

The oxygen masks presently in use for occupants of aircraft are not completely satisfactory under all conditions of use. Any oxygen mask necessarily has an internal pressure greater than atmospheric. This internal pressure is commonly maintained constant by a regulator whose setting is manually established by the pilot or other person wearing the mask. Modern jet propelled aircraft have a very high rate of climb, and consequently may be subject to a very rapid decrease in atmospheric pressure. It has sometimes occurred that during a very fast climb in such an aircraft without readjustment of the oxygen pressure, a differential is developed-between the pressure within the oxygen mask and the external at mospheric pressure which is so great that it tends to blow the mask off of the face of the wearer, or to cause excessive leakage of oxygen due to a lack of a sealing contact between the periphery of the mask and the wearers face.

Ditficulty has also been encountered with oxygen masks of the prior art because of condensation of moisture on the mask particularly in the exhaust valve. This condensation may become sufficient to block the valve and thereby render breathing very difficult or even impossible.

Another difficulty encountered with masks of the prior art is that the oxygen supply tube, which is fastened to the front of the mask, tends to restrictthe freedom of movement of the head of the wearer.

An object of the present invention is to provide an oxygen mask including an improved leakproof seal around the periphery of the mask, to avoid oxygen leakage due to loss of contact with the wearers face.

Another object is to provide a mask including a heater to prevent condensation and thereby prevent freezing of the valves.

Another object is to provide an oxygen mask in which the oxygen supply and the Wire leads to auxiliary equipment are connected to the back of the mask rather than the front.

Another object is to provide an oxygen mask with improved means for mounting it on a safety helmet.

The foregoing objects are attained in the structure described herein, which structure includes a thin, flexible membrane extending about the periphery of the mask housing. This membrane cooperates with the conventional cheek and chin flaps of the housing to define an inflatable chamber. The chamber is connected through a suitable aperture to the interior of the mask, so that it receives oxygen under pressure. When the outside pres sure falls, as during'a rapid climb of the aircraft, the chamber expands, with the thin membrane engaging the face more and more tightly as the pressure differential across it increases. The mask is thereby prevented from losing. oxygen from leakage. Furthermore, the wearer of the mask receives an immediate sensation of pressure and discomfort which will warn him to reset his pressure regulator at the earliest convenient moment.

The mask illustrated herein also includes a heater, preferably an electrical resistance element molded into the rubber housing, and effective to maintain the temperature of the valves and the inner surfaces of the mask high enough so that moisture will not condense and freeze in the mask The mask includes an oxygen supply tube, molded in the housing and passing from the center of the front to one side and around the corner, and opening toward the rear. There is also molded into the mask a conduit for electrical wires, such as the leads for the heater mentioned above, and the connecting leads to the microphone commonly provided inside such masks. The wireconduit is also connected to the mask at the back.

Improved means is provided for attaching the mask to a safety helmet on the head of the wearer, comprising snap fastener elements on the outside of the cheek flaps, and adapted to engage mating elements on the inside of the helmet shell.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an oxygen mask constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the mask of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IIIHI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the mask of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mask of Fig.1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Pig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a persons head, wearing a helmet and a mask constructed as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, showing the oxygen supply connections; and

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the head wearing the helmet and mask as shown in Fig. 7.

The mask shown in the drawings is molded of rubber or other suitable resilient plastic material, sufficiently stiff to retain its shape when unstressed or when. only lightly stressed. The mask includes a housingv 1 having an opening 2 at the rear of the housing to receive the nose and mouth of the wearer. The opening 2 is divided into two openings 2a and 2b, by a bridge 3 which engages the wearers face, extending across the upper lip just under the nose. When in place on the wearers face, the nose extends into the opening. 2a and the mouth into the opening 212.

About the entire periphery of the openings 2a and 2b, the housing 1 is provided With an inwardly extending flange 4, which is adapted to engage the wearers face, and is intended to inhibit leakage of oxygen from the housing 1 to the atmosphere.

Projecting from the sides and the bottom of the housing 3 at points spaced slightly forward of the flange 4, is a flap 5, including the cheek flap portionsSa and a chin. flap portion 511. The periphery of the flap is adapted to loosely engage the wearers face, and to aid the flange 4 in inhibiting leakage from the mask. The cheek flaps 5a join the chin flap 5b, forming a single flap extending continuously around the wearers face. The flaps 5a and 5b are provided with a groove 5c along the periphery of their inner surface, said groove being definedin part by a beading 5d extending about that periphery.

A membrane 6, formed of a thin, elastic sheet material, such as rubber, has a convolution 6a in its outer edge cemented or otherwise suitably attached to the groove 50 in the periphery of the flaps a, 5b, and has its inner edge cemented to the face side of the flange 4. A portion of the membrane 6 extends across the flange 4 where. it bridges the wearers nose, and that portion has both its edges bonded to the flange 4, leaving the central part loose, as shown in Fig. 3. The membrane 6 and the flaps 5a, 5b, define between them an inflatable chamher 7. This chamber may be inflated by means providing fluid communication between the interior of the housing 1 and the inside of the chamber 7. As illustrated, those means may comprise small apertures 8, 9 (Fig. 3) and (Fig. 6).

If desired, the chamber 7 may be sectionalized into several small chambers. As another alternative, the portion across the bridge of the nose may be omitted.

The pressure in the space between the membrane 6 and the wearers face is closer to the atmospheric pressure than it is to-the pressure within the oxygen mask housing 1, since that space is separated from the atmosphere only by the relatively loose engagement of the flaps 5a, 5b with the face, whereas it is separated from the interior of the housing by the tighter engagement of the flange 4 with the wearers face. The chamber 7 is therefore inflated sufliciently to force the membrane 6 into close fitting engagement with the face.

Upon a decrease in the atmospheric pressure at a time when thepressure inside the housing remains substantially constant, the chamber 7 becomes more highly inflated with the membrane 6 tightly engaging the wearers face and effective to maintain a leakproof seal. The membrane 6 is inflated sufficiently to engage the Wearers face tightly at all times, but as the atmospheric pressure decreases, the inflation of the chamber 7 increases, further increasing the effectiveness of the seal.

The housing 1 is provided with a central, generally cylindrical protuberance 11, which is made hollow to receive a microphone 12 (Fig. 3). Leads 13 are connected to the microphone and are molded into the housing 1, extending laterally through the lower portion there of and along one side, and extending rearwardly out of the housing, as 'best seen in Fig. 2. Other leads 14 extend from an electrical resistance heater element 15 molded in a portion of the housing adjacent the chin. The leads 14 are also molded in the housing and may conveniently join the leads 13 for the microphone in a cable 13a.

There is formed at the sides and bottom of the front of the housing a generally U-shaped protuberance 17, which encloses a correspondingly U-shaped oxygen inlet manifold 1711 whose branches lead to inlet valves 16, of conventional construction, located at either side of the interior of the housing. The manifold receives the oxygen through a tube 17b which is likewise molded into the housing and extends to one side and rearwardly thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

An exhaust valve 18 of conventional construction rests on a seat provided near the bottom of the housing 1 and opens into a chamber 19 which is vented directly to the atmosphere, as shown at 20.

The inlet valves 16 and the outlet valve 18 are conventi nal check valves of suitable structure. The details of one of the valves 16 is shown in detail in Fig. 6, by way of example. It includes a rigid apertured disk 16a and a thin flexible rubber valve member 16b which seats against the disk 16a and opens and closes the apertures therein in response to changes in the pressure differential across the valve. An orifice 21 provides a safety vent between the oxygen inlet manifold 17a and the exhaust chamber 21, in a manner well known in the art.

The heater 15 is located at the bottom of the mask, so that it is close to the outlet valve, which is the one most likely to become clogged by condensation, since it is open to the atmosphere at one side. The heater 15 is preferably designed to promote the distribution of heat by radiation to the valves and the adjacent inner surfaces of the mask, rather than by conduction or convection. Heat distribution by radiation increases the temperature at those localities where the temperature increase is needed, without wasting heat by losing it to the outer atmosphere. Since the heater element is molded in the housing, the possibility of a spark from the electrical circuit thereof is minimized.

As an optional feature of the invention, to provide an even better leakproof seal between the mask and the wearers face, there may be inserted inside the chamber 7 and opposite the cheeks of the wearer, a pair of pads 22 of a unit cellular sponge material, such as rubber- By a unit cellular sponge material is meant one whose cells are all or nearly all integral, with no apertures in the cell walls. Such a pad, if manufactured at or near sea level atmospheric pressure, tends to expand as it is subjected to lower atmospheric pressures, thereby increasing in volume and filling the space within the inflatable chamber 7, forcing the membrane 6, tightly against the wearers face. The flaps 5a, 5b are provided on their inner surfaces with grooves adjacent the pads 22, to equalize pressures throughout the chamber 7 when the pads 22 are expanded.

It is desirable that the size and shape of the pads 22 be tailored to fit the contours of the individual wearers face. For that purpose, a variety of sizes and shapes of pads may be provided, from which a person intending to wear a particular oxygen mask can select the particular size and shape which most nearly fits his facial contour. Suitable means must be provided for insertion of the pads within the chamber 7. For example, a portion of the periphery of the membrane 6 may be left unsealed to the periphery of the flap 5a, as shown at 23 in Fig. 3, so that the pads 22 selected by the wearer may be inserted therein. After the pads are so inserted and cemented in place, the open portion of the membrane 23 should be sealed to the flap 5a, for example, by the use of rubber cement. It should be understood that after an individually selected set of pads are installed in a mask, it should thereafter be worn only by the individual who made the selection.

The flaps 5a are provided on the outer sides of their rear portions with fastener members 24, which are adapted to engage mating fastener members on a helmet 25, such as the helmet shown in Figs. 6 and 7. When the oxygen mask is so mounted, no further mounting apparatus or straps are necessary. The common mounting arrangement for conventional oxygen masks includes a harness extending around the front of the mask and attached to the helmet. In such a mask, attachment of the cheek flaps to the helmet would be unsuitable, because it would tend to separate the flaps from the face and increase oxygen leakage. However, in the present mask, the membrane 6 prevents such leakage and the use of the simple fasteners on the flaps 5a is therefore entirely practical.

The helmet 25 is provided on its lower rear portion with an aperture through which the oxygen supply tube 17b may pass. Outside the aperture, the oxygen supply tube is attached to a T-connection 27, one branch of which extends to the main oxygen supply of the aircraft through a flexible conduit 28. The other branch of the T-connection 27 extends through a flexible conduit 29 to an emergency oxygen supply 30 which is carried on the person of the wearer of the mask. In the event that the person wearing the mask has to bail out of the aircraft, the main oxygen supply is disconnected. The emergency supply is sufficient to supply the pilot with oxygen until he falls to an altitude where he can breathe without the use of the mask.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the helmet 25 may have another aperture in the rear through which passes a cable 31 which may include the wires of the cable 13a and other wires leading to auxiliary equipment, e. g., earphones, inside the helmet 25.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, other modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art and I therefore intend my invention to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An oxygen mask comprising a housing of stifliy resilient material open at one side to receive the nose and mouth of a'wearer, oxygen inlet means and outlet means communicating with the interior of said housing, a flange on said housing encircling said opening and adapted to engage the wearers face snugly to inhibit leakage from the housing, flap means of stiffly resilient material projecting from the sides and bottom of the housing at localities spaced from the wearers face and extending outwardly and rearwardly so that the periphery of said flap means engages loosely the wearers cheeks and chin, a thin membrane of material more elastic and more flexible than said housing and flap means and extending from said flange to the flap means periphery, said membrane, said housing and said flap means cooperating to define a chamher, and means providing fluid communication between said chamber and the interior of said housing, so that oxygen under super-atmospheric pressure flowing into said housing is effective to inflate said chamber, whereupon said membrane expands and closely engages the wearers face, thereby substantially preventing leakage of oxygen.

2. An oxygen mask comprising a housing of stiffly resilient material open at one side to receive the nose and mouth of a wearer, oxygen inlet means and outlet means in communication with the interior of said housing, a flange on said housing encircling said opening and adapted to engage the wearers face snugly to inhibit leakage from the housing, flap means of stifliy resilient material projecting from the sides and bottom of the housing at localities spaced from the wearers face and extending outwardly and rearwardly so that the periphery of said flap means engages loosely the wearers cheeks and chin, a thin membrane of material more elastic and more flexible than said housing and flap means and extending from said flange to the flap means periphery, said membrane, said housing and said flap means cooperating to define a chamber, means providing fluid communication between said chamber and the interior of said housing, so that oxygen under super-atmospheric pressure flowing into said housing is effective to inflate said chamber, whereupon said membrane expands and closely engages the wearers face, thereby substantially preventing leakage of oxygen, and pad means in said chamber of unit cellular sponge material, the cells in said sponge material being effective to expand as the pressure in said chamber is reduced, thereby forcing said membrane into closer contact with the wearers face.

3. An oxygen mask as defined in claim 2, including means for replacing said pad means with other pad means of different sizes and shapes.

4. An oxygen mask comprising a housing open at one side to receive the nose and mouth of a wearer, inlet means and outlet means communicating with the interior of said housing, a microphone in the housing, and an electrical resistance heater element molded in said housing adjacent the chin covering portion thereof, oxygen supply conduit means connected to said oxygen inlet means and molded in said housing and extending rearwardly from a rear portion thereof, and electrical leads for said microphone and said heater, said leads being molded in said housing and extending rearwardly from a rear portion thereof.

5. An oxygen mask as defined in claim 4 including inflatable sealing means extending about at least a portion of the periphery of said open side and effective when inflated to engage yieldably and flexibly the wearers face and thereby to prevent substantial leakage of oxygen past said portion of the periphery of the opening.

6. An oxygen mask comprising a hollow housing open at one side to receive the nose and mouth of a wearer; oxygen inlet means and outlet means communicating with the interior of said housing, and inflatable sealing means extending about at least a portion of the periphery of said open side and eflective when inflated to engage yieldably and flexibly the wearers face and thereby to prevent substantial leakage of oxygen past said portion of the periphery of the opening, said inflatable sealing means comprising cheek flap means of stifliy resilient material projecting from the sides of the housing at localities spaced from the wearers face and extending outwardly and rearwardly so that the periphery of said flap means engages loosely the wearers cheeks, and a thin membrane of material more elastic and more flexible than said flap means and extending from the periphery of said flap means to the periphery of said opening.

7. An oxygen mask as defined in claim 6, in which said inflatable sealing means comprises a chin flap of stifliy resilient material projecting from the bottom of the housing at a locality spaced from the wearers face and extending downwardly and rearwardly so that the periphery of said chin flap engages loosely the wearers chin, and a thin membrane of material more elastic and more flexible than said housing and flap means and extending from the periphery of the flap means to the periphery of said opening.

8. An oxygen mask comprising a hollow housing open at one side to receive the nose and mouth of a wearer, oxygen inlet means and outlet means communicating with the interior of said housing and eflective to maintain a superatmospheric pressure therein, and inflatable sealing means extending about at least a portion of the periphery of said open side and eflective when inflated to engage yieldably and flexibly the wearers face and thereby to prevent substantial leakage of oxygen past said portion of the periphery of the opening, and means providing fluid communication between the interior of said housing and the interior of said inflatable sealing means and effective to inflate said sealing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,995 Bulbulian Aug. 31, 1943 2,348,277 Boothby et a1. May 9, 1944 2,403,046 Bulbulian July 2, 1946 2,540,567 Bennett Feb. 6, 1951 2,591,992 Aerick Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 689,186 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1953 

